Riyan Parag wastes yet another bright start in Duleep Trophy, left frustrated after falling to reckless shot again
Riyan Parag failed to convert yet another start in the Duleep Trophy, as he scored only 20 off 31 balls in the second innings of the second round.
Team India's star batter, Riyan Parag, endured another poor outing in the second round of the Duleep Trophy on Saturday. After failing to convert his strong start in the first innings, where he scored 37 off just 29 balls, Parag came with a more gritty intent in the second innings.
Arriving after a solid start from India A, where the openers, Mayank Agarwal (56) and Pratham Singh (122), put in 115 runs for the first wicket, followed by another 104-run stand for the second, Parag had a significant cushion in terms of the second-innings lead as he arrived to bat.
He produced confident stroke-playing, smashing two brilliant sixes as he raced to 20 off 30 deliveries. However, Parag hit a shot too many, as he miscued one while taking on Saurabh Kumar. Intending to clear the long off boundary, Parag couldn't find the middle of the bat as the ball hit the toe-end, and substitute Aditya Thakare picked an impressive catch to cut short his innings.
Parag was visibly frustrated with his dismissal as another chance to pose contention for Test spots went begging.
Watch the dismissal:
Parag has had a frustrating outing in the Duleep Trophy so far. In all four innings, he got off to bright starts but failed to convert. The Assam youngster scored 30 and 31 across the two innings in the first round.
Parag's international career so far
Parag received his maiden India call-up in July earlier this year after an excellent Indian Premier League season, where he ended as the fourth-highest run-getter. However, while Parag failed to make a significant mark with the bat in his limited outings for the side against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, he impressed with the ball, picking three wickets in his fifty-over debut.
Team India will return to action on September 19 when the side takes on Bangladesh in the first of two Tests. Following the Tests, India will play in three T20Is, which will likely see the return of Parag to international cricket.
